Maddie (Peyton List) wakes up in the boiler room of her high school. Her blood is splattered around. But that's not the worst part: she's dead! She can't touch or move anything. She can see and hear the living but they can't see or hear her. And she can't leave the campus!
Her self-appointed guide is Charlie (Nick Pugliese, center), a gay kid who died in the school during the 1990s (peanut allergy, not hate crime). He advises her to not try to remember how she died, since she can't change anything: no communication with the living is possible. But don't ghosts communicate with people all the time? Maybe in the next episode. And becoming fixated on the past is dangerous: some band members who died in a bus crash many years ago are obsessively performing the school fight song, over and over.
Charlie introduces Maddie to some other ghosts from various decades, notably Wally (Milo Mannheim, top photo and right), who died on the football field, and wishes that he had managed to shower first; and the Goth Kirsten, who was murdered by her guidance counselor.
Mr. Martin (Josh Zuckerman), a teacher who died in the school, offers regular group therapy, with regular homework ("write your obituary"). This doesn't get boring after 20 years because ghosts don't experience time in the same way that the living do. He also advises Maddie to resist checking up on her living friends, as they will gradually forget her and move on.
Of course, Maddie doesn't listen. She tries to recall events leading up to her death: she made plans to with her BFFs, Simon (Kristian Ventura) and Nicole, to see Carrie that night.
Her boyfriend Xavier (Spencer MacPherson) was skipping class, and texted her to join him for a smooch session in his car. She talked him into going to the movie. They met the others after class with the tickets. And that's it.
Out in the living world, Maddie's body has not been found, so she gets "missing person" posters and "thoughts and prayers" in class. The BFFs think that this is ridiculous: they should be out looking for her. Suddenly Xavier's bag flies open: he has Maddie's cell phone! Why didn't he tell anyone for the last three days? This makes him the prime suspect in her murder. The sheriff (Ian Tracey, left), who also happens to be his Dad, arrests him.
Beefcake: Charlie's "office" is the shower room in the boy's gym, where he can watch an endless parade of butts and cocks (just butts are shown). Otherwise none.
Gay Characters: Charlie, and maybe Maddie's living bff, Simon. A future episode shows us Simon's high school boyfriend, Emilio, who is now all grown up, married to another guy, and teaching at the school (played as an adult by Andres Soto, seen here doing...um...)
Heterosexism: Maddie and her boyfriend kiss about 1,000 times. Of course, they won't be able to in future episodes, but Xavier has been seeing another girl on the side, so doubtless Maddie will be seeing some smooching.
The Mystery: "Who killed Maddie, and why?" It's obviously not Xavier or one of her bffs, and those are the major living characters introduced to date. I also hope that we have some subplots involving the other ghosts.
My Grade: A-
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